I'm passionate about the needs of a child with ADD/ADHD.
I'm also passionate about the needs of the parents! These needs can overwhelm families and make home life chaotic.
It doesn't have to be that way however.
Let me help you by sharing my personal story - a story that covers both parents and children.
I'm a 49 year old woman and I've lived with ADD my entire life.
I have also raised four kids, all of which have ADD/ADHD.
Great news parents! My kids are doing and feeling great.
So there is hope.
After all, knowing how a life can change from looking at life as a prison to viewing it as a smorgasbord of opportunities that are well within our reach becomes an interesting story.
We all run our life using two key elements, either our head or our heart.
The key is to find balance and use both.
Those two elements are all connected to you Physically, Mentally, Emotionally and Spiritually.
There are strategies to influence and channel your child's behavior.
You can use exercise, the natural environment, and possibly diet to alleviate ADD/ADHD symptoms.
And you don't have to go it alone, either.
Find out how to begin turning frustration and chaos into appreciation and enjoyment of your child with ADD/ADHD.
Don't get turned off because of one person's advice that didn't work for you.
That would be like going out to eat, having a bad meal, and deciding to never go to another restaurant.
Certainly people want to know how to get the things they want out of life.
Especially if it helps their children who desire to experience accomplishments as well.
I can surely relate to that! I'd like to share some tips with you that have helped me deal with my own ADD/ADHD children: Get some exercise If you have a child with ADD/ADHD, you know how frustrating it can be when your kid doesn't seem to listen, do what you asked, or finish what was started.
With the constant monitoring your child requires, it may feel as if he or she is the one running the home.
One time when I went to take my kids to a doctor they were seeing at that time, she was asking me all the questions about all of them just shaking her head, and then she looked at me and asked "What do you do to keep sane?" I knew what she meant.
I wanted to say to her, "No I don't drink", but I didn't.
I just said smiling, "I run.
I run to keep my sanity".
You know how it is; it can get crazy, it takes a lot of energy and it's mentally draining.
Its one thing after another, isn't it? I found a coping mechanism by running daily, exercising both my body and my mind.
I have completed four marathons, one for each child (grin).
This isn't for everybody, but this is what I did.
What would you like to do? You could plant a garden or enjoy your favorite hobby.
You might sew, or go bowling and join or start a team.
It is important to find something to take your mind off your problems and allow your body to relax.
You may be saying, "I'd rather go to bed or take a nap", but I have found that doing something active and with others actually helps your mind, body and spirit as well.
Your body will find it soothing and thank you for it.
My daughter would sometimes take a break from working on her homework after about an hour or so, and go outside and shoot baskets to get her blood moving.
It seemed to help her concentrate and clear her mind.
Don't give up on your kids Let's face it.
With ADD there are going to be good days and there are going to be bad days.
One of my bad days was when I took one of my kids with me to the grocery store, which I rarely would do because they wouldn't sit that long in the kart, and they wanted down and I knew if that happened they'd be outside in an instant.
Well one day I let my son out and he also was tired and wanted to buy something and I stuck to my guns and told him no.
Well, he reached for a soup can and threw it at me and made a pretty big fit.
Guess who didn't go to the grocery store with mom for a long time? Find some things for them to do so they feel useful and not always being yelled at.
For them to be able to feel important in some way is very important for them, in my opinion.
You can't let the bad days drag you down.
Don't let a bad day make you loose faith in your child or yourself.
Remember: It is not your fault Be glad that you found out and now you know what the problem is because there is help and you choose to deal with it.
I'll never forget one day when a friend of mine came over to tell me she just found out that one of her kids was diagnosed with ADD, and she raved like he'd contracted some kind of disease.
She asked how I dealt with this sad news.
What sad news? I told her I was grateful that I knew so we could do something about it.
Now they had help and also went to a special school.
That gave her a different perspective so she left feeling better.
Let's be advocates for our children ADD is still misunderstood.
Do what you know is right.
You know your children better than anyone else.
Stay open minded.
If people, doctors, or pharmacists tell you that ADD is not real, you have a choice whether or not to believe them.
Especially if they haven't experienced it themselves.
No one knows this better than the ones who live with it.
We can't speak for others or judge them.
We are only responsible for ourselves so it's better to focus on what you know is best for yourself.
Don't sweat the small stuff These kids spend their little lives being told they are "wrong" and their self-esteems are usually low because they know they are "different.
" They just don't know why.
A lot of ADD kids think they are bad so they might vent their frustrations out in anger.
I tried to focus more on the positive.
Remember, some of these kids have no attention span so things like board games and such that other kids may like or be good at might make them feel uneasy because they can't sit still and it frustrates everyone sitting around them.
Go for walks; go to parks, anything that keeps them busy.
Keep busy and enjoy your time with them Keeping busy with different activities in short bursts is usually the best defense against bored ADD/ADD child.
Being bored adds to destructive behavior with these kids.
But at the same time you don't want to over stimulate them either.
It's a delicate balance.
Make sure you have help and take a break once in a while.
It can be exhausting work! Remember that we're not talking tolerance here; we're talking about patience and perseverance.
Don't let others make you feel guilty for what you need to do for your child.
They don't deal with the day to day things that come with ADD/ADHD.
Allow them to be a total joy to you and love them dearly.
I die inside for these beautiful kids while they think that they can't have a normal life.
I know they can.
There is hope! Don't be afraid to ask for help.
This does not reflect on you as a parent, as a matter of fact it makes you an awesome parent.
You have a problem and are dealing with it, not just ignoring or denying it.